New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-08
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would be willing to give his views upon the
recommendation of the President in the form OF
n letter or interview lie preferred an interview,
| if 1 would agree to send him an intelligent short
hand reporter, with such questions as should give
free scope for expression of his views. The
following lucid and powerful statement is the
result Mr.. Blaine began by saying to the
reporter:
Il have been reading an abstract of the Prcsi-
dents message and have been especially interested
in the comments of the London papers. Those
papers all assume to declare the message Is free
trade manifesto and evidently are anticipating an
enlarged market for English fabrics in the United
States rs a consequence of the Presidents recon-
mcndations Perhaps that fact stamped the char
actcr Of the message more clearly than any words
of mine can"
You don't mean actual free trade without
duty?7 qucricd the reporter.
No. replied Mr.. Blaine. Nor do the Lon
don papers mean that. They simply mean that
the President has recommended what in the
United Stacs is known as a revenue tariff, re-
!
not even permitting protection to result freely
as an incident to revenue duties"
Il don't know that | quite comprehend that
last point said the reporter.
Il mcan.n said Mr.. Blaine, that for the first
time in the history Of the United States the
President recommends retaining the internal tax
in order that the tarin may be forced down even
below the fair revenue standard He recon-
mcnds that the tax on tobacco be retained, and
thus that many millions annually shall be levied
on domestic product which would far better
come from a tariff on foreign fabrics
TIE TOBACCO TAN SHOULD BE REPEALED AT oNcE
Then do you mean TO imply that you would
favor the repeal of the tobacco taX?"
Certainly; mean just that" said Mr.. Blaine.
II should urge that it be done at once, even
before the Christmas holidays. 1t would in the
first place bring great relief to growers of tobacco
all over the country and would, moreover mo-
tcraly lessen the price Of the article to con-
sumcrs tobacco 10 millions of men is q necessity.
The President calls il a luxury. but il is n luxury
| IN 10 other sense than tea and coffee are luNu-
} 3.
# yesterday becomes a necessity of today
Watch. if you please. the number Of men at
work on the farm. in the coal mine, along the
railroad. in the iron foundry, or in any calling,
and you will find % in 100 chewing while they
work, After each meal the same proportion seek
the solacc Of pipe or a cigar. These men not
only pay the millions Of the tobacco tax, but
pay on every plug and every cigar an enhanced
rric. which the tax enables the manufacturer and
retailer 70 impose. The only excuse for such Il
tax is the actual necessity under which the
Government found itself during the war. ana the
year, Immediately following. To retain the tax
now i'm order 10 destroy the protection which
would incidentally flow from raising the same
amount of money on foreign imports IS certainly
most cNtraorlinary policy for our Government"
rnr wmsKEY TAX SHOULD De RETAINED.
well then, Mr. Bainc, would you advise the
repeal Of the whisllcy tax also?'
NO, | would not. Other considerations thah
those of financial administration are TO be taken
into account with regard TO whiskcy There Is
n moral side to it. To chcapcn the price OF
,,bisl,cv is 10 increase its consumption cnor
mously. There would be no sense in urging the
reform wrought by high license in many States
if the National Government ncutralizes the scod
effect by making whskcy within reach OF every
one at twenty cents a gallon WhislIey would
hc everywhere distilled if the surveillance OF
fine ,oyernmcnt were withdrawn by the remission
of the tax and Illicit sales could not theh De
prcvcntcd even by II policy rs rigorous ana
searching as that with which Russia pnrNu'N
the Nhlists. II would destroy high license ut
once in all the states.
wutst,y SHOULD PAY FOR COAST DEFrNcfS.
"Whisl,cy has done vast deal of harm in the
,ri,cd STATES would try to max, it do some
GOOD. | would use the tax to fortiiy our ci'i''
ON the scaboard In view of tine powerful letter
addressed to the Democratic party on 'ne Su'J'''
of fortf,ations by the late Mr. Samuel j. lilu'h'
in Iss5 | am amazed that no attention has bceh
noid to the subject by the Democratic Admlnistra'
tjon. Never before in the history OF the Woflu
has any government allowed great cities on thc
scoboard, like PhiIadclphia Ncw-YorN Boston,
baltimore, New Orleans and San Francisco 10 re-
main dcfcncccss."
~ TIME OF PEACE PREPARE FOR WAR.
"Hut.r said the reporter you don't thlhK We
are to have war in any direction"
.Ccrtoinly not.n said Mr.. Blaine Neither
rrosumc. did Mr. Tidcn when he wrote his
remarkable letter But we should change remote
chonce into an absolute impossibllity. III our
veal; and exposed points were strongly iorhlled )
If today we had by any chance even such war
os ,,o had with Mexico our enemy could procure
ironclaes in Europe that would menace our great
cities with destruction or lay them under contri-
button"
But would not our lortifying now possibly
look as il We expected war2n